Should Cities Be In The Development Business?

[Bill Call]

Since when are cities in the "development" business?.....PS If your formula were stricly applied, the homeowners adjacent to the park would see their tax valuation jump into the neighborhood of $600,000. Pretty pricey for French and Andrews, dont you think?

The quotes were taken from the Kaufman Park thread.

Yes.

That is what defines a city. Cities build the roads, bridges, sewers, water lines, museums, stadiums; Avon builds a new exit on I 90, Westlake builds the infrastructure that made Croker Park possible. All across the world Cities are recreating themselves.

There is no reason Lakewood shouldn't be part of the process. If we don't compete with the competition the City will wither and die.

The people that need to be afraid of the new value of Drug Mart Plaza are the commercial property owners. If properly appraised those values should increase by 300% at the next countywide appraisal.

However, if the City had the $1.3 million we spent last year on fire department overtime perhaps the City would have the money for development.

Bill

Given the normal tone of your posts, what are the chances that you would:
1) Trust the Lakewood CIty Government to actually undertake developement, and ;
2) Not demand that such savings be used to decrease the tax burden of the residents.

Just wondering

Jeff

EGADS!!!!! Trapped by my own rhetoric!!!!!

[Jim O'Bryan]

There is no reason Lakewood shouldn't be part of the process. If we don't compete with the competition the City will wither and die.

Bill

This is BS on so many levels I have no idea where to start.

One it is not true.

Two, we cannot compete with cities like Avon Lake and Westlake, they have hundreds of acres to build on that cost 1/100th of what it costs Lakewood to build on.

Can any development in Lakewood work with land cost of $4.3 million an acre?

Three, the measure of a city isn't how many crappy strip malls we can build, but the residents, the lifestyle, and the value of the property.(see above)

Four, and most important, this city has gone through a complete rebirth. LEAF Community, changing the way we look and get food. Lakewood Is Art, working hard to bring awareness and events to the city that underline the ENTIRE CITY is an arts district. MAMA, helping businesses on Madison to work together to promote the city, and bring in new businesses, costing the city, and the tax payers NOTHING! DADA started three weeks ago and building rapidly, dedicated to working with businesses on Detroit. This will be unveiled in a very special program very soon, with strong corporate backing. Again costing the city, and taxpayers NOTHING. BikeLakewood changing the face and laws of Lakewood to a greener healthier place, though looking for taxpayer money is a group I am proud to support anyway I can. LakewoodCares, a single non-profit dedicated to building up ALL NON-PROFITS, and CHURCHES in this community.

There is a new wind blowing through Lakewood, and it is a positive wind of doing things outside the box. Not relying on the same hard working twenty people that appear on every board or committee for the past twenty years. It is a wind that is working to turn POWER back to the residents it is a strong and healthy wind of empowerment.

I have a friend that goes shopping all the time. Every time I see her, she is in a new hat, and new dress, a new car, has been to new restaurant. While talking one day it became obvious that it was an obsession covering up faults she thought she had, and was desperate to cover those imaginary faults. One day she realized how shallow it all was. This was after she realized that she would wear the new clothes once, and take them back. That she was overspending to correct her own insecurity. Today, she is more relaxed, happier and living within her budget.

Bill, get comfortable, be happier, buy from LEAF, sit in with MAMA, join the massive spring artwalk planned, learn to juggle for Busking Day, come to the car how. Bring Mary and your beautiful grandchild, and smile and relax with the knowledge it is costing you NOTHING.

FWIW


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[Dee Martinez]

Three, the measure of a city isn't how many crappy strip malls we can build, but the residents, the lifestyle, and the value of the property.(see above)

As you know I often take Mr Call to task on some of his assumptions and accusations but I have never seen where he has asked for "crappy strip malls" nor has anyone else I know on or offline. Not all development is crappy as Im sure any reasonable person will agree. "Development" could also be a high tech r&d campus.
The Observer has always done a great job with its optimism for the future of Lakewood and that a wonderful new thing "will be announced very soon" However at some ponit that optimism must produce some fruit.

A grab bag of tiny ad hoc initiatives (as noble and necessary as they are) is not a civic vision nor a strategic plan.
Dueling statistics and talk about MAMA and DADA or whatever arent enough to balance the fact that people in Lakewood who used to work in Cleveland have had their jobs move to Solon or Medina. So they can either accept the 70 mile daily commute or move. Nothing for them here.

The promise, the kind I have read countless times here, that something major will be "announced very soon" doesnt counter the fact that regardless of stats, we have had a rash of high profile serious crimes, and many residents are frightened.

Lakewood is right now very wonderful for a fortunate few and not so great for many others.
Even if the pie isnt shrinking its not growing. The fact that there will be fewer people to share it isnt comforting.

Please dont take this as critiscism of what the LO is trying to do. Please accept is as another perspective. Thats how its meant.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Three, the measure of a city isn't how many crappy strip malls we can build, but the residents, the lifestyle, and the value of the property.(see above)

As you know I often take Mr Call to task on some of his assumptions and accusations but I have never seen where he has asked for "crappy strip malls" nor has anyone else I know on or offline. Not all development is crappy as Im sure any reasonable person will agree. "Development" could also be a high tech r&d campus.
The Observer has always done a great job with its optimism for the future of Lakewood and that a wonderful new thing "will be announced very soon" However at some ponit that optimism must produce some fruit.

A grab bag of tiny ad hoc initiatives (as noble and necessary as they are) is not a civic vision nor a strategic plan.
Dueling statistics and talk about MAMA and DADA or whatever arent enough to balance the fact that people in Lakewood who used to work in Cleveland have had their jobs move to Solon or Medina. So they can either accept the 70 mile daily commute or move. Nothing for them here.

The promise, the kind I have read countless times here, that something major will be "announced very soon" doesnt counter the fact that regardless of stats, we have had a rash of high profile serious crimes, and many residents are frightened.

Lakewood is right now very wonderful for a fortunate few and not so great for many others.
Even if the pie isnt shrinking its not growing. The fact that there will be fewer people to share it isnt comforting.

Please dont take this as critiscism of what the LO is trying to do. Please accept is as another perspective. Thats how its meant.

Dee

Thanks for the note.

It underlines that the LO is not mine, but ours.

All values and ideas are welcomed as long as the poster understand that there will be vetting and discusion.

"Crappy Strip Malls" more a slash at some ideas that have been presented recently. Cecil Yates plan for Detroit and Rockway. The Kaufmann Park idea I believe is totally underwhelming. I am more upset of that than losing Kaufmann Park.

You are correct Bill has neve called for "crappy strip malls."

There are things afoot, that can help with the downturn in economy, and the LO is working harder than ever to shore up Lakewood jobs and finances. MAMA and DADA are starting to float some very ingenous ideas for attracting businesses and making them successful. It is a start.

Thanks again for the note. You add much to the LO Project.


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[Bill Call]

"Crappy Strip Malls" more a slash at some ideas that have been presented recently. Cecil Yates plan for Detroit and Rockway. The Kaufmann Park idea I believe is totally underwhelming. I am more upset of that than losing Kaufmann Park.

You are correct Bill has neve called for "crappy strip malls."

I think you were using "Crappy Strip Mall's" as a metaphor for development projects that replace locally owned shops and stores with an Applebees or a giant Wal Mart in downtown Lakewood.

All of the various volunteer commitees and action committees and block watch committees are certainly a big plus for the City. However..

A new business in Lakewood recently had an advertisement that shouted: "We are here Lakewood, where are you?". That is not an ad of a business that is thriving.

There has to be a critical mass of customers for all of those mom and pop stores to survive. You have to sell a lot of soup to pay the rent. That traffic has to come from people shopping in Lakewood as a matter of habit and not just because there is a special arts walk, auto show, etc..Which is why I think the City needs one or two well placed shopping areas that will keep people in Lakewood rather than heading out to Avon Commons.

If you shop for sheets out of town you may decide to buy your groceries out of town and eat your lunch out of town because you are there anyway and it's just a lot easier. Lakewood store fronts are not going to survive on the basis of three or four special events or on appeals to patriotism.

In the novel 1984 sex was described as "doing ones duty for the party". I am sure it wasn't much fun. If shopping in Lakewood comes to be seen as "Doing one's duty for the City" it won't be much fun either.

[Bill Call]

This article in City Journal discusses the limits of government directed city saving projects:

http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_4_buffalo_ny.html

The Cleveland area is in much better economic shape than the Buffalo area but some of the lessons discussed in this article apply to us as well. Government development projects should be focused on attracting and keeping the middle class and providing an environment that encourages economic growth.

Development ideas based on higher welfare spending depress economic growth, increase poverty and accelerate economic decline. Which brings up the question: Why does Lakewood need its own welfare department; a department that costs millions and simply duplicates County and State efforts?

[sharon kinsella]

Since I am unfamiliar with a Lakewood Welfare office I really would like to know what it is.

I was totally unaware that their was an office in Lakewood, that takes applications for food stamps, supplement checks, job retraining, parenting counselling etc.

If we have a department that acts as a liaison for Lakewood residents, that would make sense. Or one that steers people toward the services they need. People in a new circumstance where they require some assistance often need to be guided through the convoluted system.

Also, welfare isn't what it used to be. There are huge gaps in services. Would this dept. be steering people toward other agencies that can help?

[Stan Austin]

Uh, Sharon----

Unfortunately this is just another example of Bill Call's imagination at work.

Lakewood doesn't have a welfare office. And, moreover, since this office doesn't exist, it doesn't spend millions.

Sort of makes you wonder about any of the assertions that Bill makes.

Stan Austin